FALL - It's Planting Time

Now is the time to plant grass seed, perennials, bulbs, trees (with exception of some broad-leaved evergreens and conifers) and shrubs. With moisture & moderate temperatures, roots have an excellent chance to get established before winter freezes. When planting trees, dig a hole no deeper & even a little shallower than the root ball, but 3 to 4 times as wide. If you dig a hole too deep and backfill before placing a tree is the hole, this invites settling. With water and time, the tree could sink below ground level – almost always fatal to a tree. Plant azaleas with top of root ball above the soil. Mulch newly planted trees and shrubs, but do keep it off of stems of trees! Spread compost in the garden now, it’s good for plants & empties mulch bin or pile to make room for fall leaves, Remove old annuals, divide Hemerocallis(daylily), Siberian iris, Astilbes (need division every 3-4 years) Coral bells. Remove spent plants and stems from the garden – disinfect pruners before using from one plant to another to avoid spread ing disease. Cut all the brown foliage from peony plants right down to ground level. Disease can over-winter on these leaves. Do not put diseased plants on the mulch pile. Resist the urge to prune now as the tender new growth may not harden off sufficiently before cold weather arrives – an exception: Hydrangea Annabel. If your plant is flopping over, it can actually be cut to the ground, or to 18” to 24” allowing stems to thicken & provide more support for the large blooms, anytime now thru late winter. Hydrangea Paniculata, or PeeGee can be cut back to 18”-24” to rejuvenate shrub & limit its size. This is only form of hydrangea that can be pruned into a tree form. Do not prune other hydrangeas now as they set buds on current season’s growth– wait until just after they bloom. You can remove spent blossoms, but some theorize that these dead blossoms help protect the buds below during the winter.

Now is the time to dry hydrangeas – when the color has turned lime green on Annabel

They are ready to bring in and place in a vase with or without water. You can also cut blossoms from other hydrangeas.

Plan to cut grasses in the late winter – these old stems help to insulate the root ball.

It is best not to prune roses heavily now…wait until early spring. Do however, cut off any dead wood. When leaves have dropped, be sure to rake all dead ones from underneath and deposit in trash – not mulch pile. If we have a very cold, then warm winter, this does lots of damage to roses, so heavily mulch them after the first frost.

SPRING PLANTING

Ah Spring - it's that time when so much comes into bloom and it is glorious! Starting a bush, perennial or annual in your garden takes some preparation. You have to dig a $100 hole for a $10 plant! So, let's get you started. From your hardware store or nursery you'll need: a rounded

digging shovel; clay buster planting mix (Super Fine), composted cow manure, starter fertilizer, organic time-release fertilizer (like Osmocote) and mulch. Bushes and trees are planted in much the same way. Dig the hole about twice as wide as the root ball and just a little deeper. Mix the soil with the planting mix to a 1/3 mix-2/3 soil blend. Remove the plant from the pot by tapping hard on the sides & base. If there is a massive amount of tightly wound together roots, take a knife or scissors & cut randomly about an inch up into the bottom and sides (no, this will not hurt the plant and it is very important!) and with your fingers pry some of the roots loose so that they can work their way into the soil. Plants & trees whose roots are tightly woven in a circular fashion in the pot will not reach out and grab the water & neutrients unless they are pried out before planting. If plant is in burlap, untie, remove strings but leave burlap in place - don't worry about roots. Now fill the hole with water and let it drain into the soil. Place some of the mix into the bottom of the hole, just enough to enable the top of the root ball to be about an inch above the top of the ground and position the plant in the hole. Surround the roots with soil, and about 1/3 way up, add the starter fertilizer according to package directions. Continue filling and add slow-release food into top one inch.

Tamp down lightly. Create a dish effect around the plant, by scooping out a little trough to catch water. Now water the plant thoroughly. Cover with a 2" layer of mulch, being careful to avoid placing it next to stem. Over the next 3 or 4 weeks, watch plant carefully and do not let it dry out.

With smaller plants, like perennials and annuals, if there is already a garden bed, add about 1/3 manure to planting soil. Mix in Osmocote in top 1" or so. If digging for a larger perennial, follow the same general directions as for trees & shrubs, but also incorporate manure into the mix. You can also use bat guana or any of the rich mixes on the market today.

If you follow these directions, you should have beautiful and lasting results. Stay tuned for future blogs on how to maintain your garden.